11 answers, 5 from Vietnam's own official bodies, with a link to each figure.
96.1% of people aged 15 and over in Viet Nam could read and write in 2022, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, which use UNESCO data. The rate was 93.5% in 2009.
The rate measures basic reading and writing, not reading comprehension, and comes from population surveys, so it is available only for some years. It rose from 95.75% in 2019.
Viet Nam had 25,365 general schools and 18.75 million pupils in school year 2025-2026, according to Ministry of Education and Training figures in the National Statistics Office socio-economic report. 96.8% of schools were public.
Primary schools had 8.67 million pupils, lower secondary 6.99 million and upper secondary 3.09 million. There were 843,966 teachers. Preschools had a further 4.91 million children. Nearly 27 million pupils and students began the 2026-2027 school year on 5 September 2026.
1,223,776 candidates registered for Viet Nam's upper secondary graduation exam in 2026, 61,642 more than in 2025, according to the National Statistics Office socio-economic report. 1,213,695 sat the exam, 99.18% of those registered.
2026 was the second year of the exam's "2+2" format, and the exam was held at 2,478 venues with 54,409 exam rooms. 74 candidates were suspended, 69 of them for bringing a phone into the exam room.
Government spending on education in Viet Nam was 2.89% of GDP in 2022, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, which use UNESCO data. It was 3.22% in 2020.
The figure covers spending by all levels of government. Education prices rose 3.44% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier, according to the National Statistics Office socio-economic report.
Gross enrolment in tertiary education in Viet Nam was 37.6% in 2024, according to the World Bank World Development Indicators, which use UNESCO Institute for Statistics data.
The rate compares the number of students in universities and colleges with the population in the five-year age group after secondary school. The series moves noticeably from year to year, from 44.8% in 2022 to 32.8% in 2023, so single years should be read with care. 29.9% of workers had a degree or certificate in 2026, according to the National Statistics Office.
The figures below use one definition for every country, so they can differ from national figures.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts gross secondary school enrolment in Vietnam at 93.4% in 2022. Since 2015 it has ranged from 89.5% (2015) to 94.7% (2019). Across East Asia & Pacific the middle value was 92.8%, and Vietnam placed 10th highest of 21. Of 132 countries with 2022 data, 73rd highest.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts gross tertiary enrolment in Vietnam at 37.6% in 2024. The peak was 44.8% in 2022 and the low 15.9% in 2005. Across East Asia & Pacific the middle value was 47.4%, and Vietnam placed 12th highest of 15. Worldwide: 58th of 90.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the adult literacy rate in Vietnam was 96.1% in 2022. It was 93.5% in 2009. It is 3rd highest of 7 in East Asia & Pacific, where the median is 95.8%. World rank, highest first: 14th of 44.
In 2022, government spending on education in Vietnam was 2.9% of GDP, according to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. That is the lowest since at least 2008. East Asia & Pacific median: 4.5% of GDP; Vietnam is 16th highest of 22. Worldwide: 120th of 155.
According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the number of primary pupils per teacher in Vietnam was 20 in 2018. The peak was 22 in 2005 and the low 19 in 2013. East Asia & Pacific median: 20; Vietnam is 8th highest of 13. Of 85 countries with 2018 data, 44th highest.
The UNESCO Institute for Statistics puts the primary completion rate in Vietnam at 100.6% in 2024. Its high point since 2005 was 2006, at 103.4%; its low point was 2011, at 96.5%. East Asia & Pacific median: 98.9%; Vietnam is 7th highest of 20. World rank, highest first: 20th of 104.
Read on 14 October 2026. Definitions · Report an error